Brownsville Affordable Housing Lottery Offers Studio Apartments for $940

An affordable housing lottery has opened for a building in Brownsville that was converted from a two-story brick industrial building into a three-story, 68-unit apartment building.

Included in the lottery for 400 Thatford Avenue Apartments are 17 studio apartments, all rent stabilized and income restricted, 14 of which could be deemed affordable. The units are set aside for families earning 40 and 60 percent of the Area Median Income, or between $37,989 and $77,760 a year for households of one to two people, according to the listing.

Six studios at 40 percent AMI are renting for $940 and $963 a month, and eight studios at 60 percent AMI are renting for $1,490 and $1,513 a month. The remaining three units are studios set aside for households earning 100 percent AMI, renting for $2,613 a month.

Designed by Baobab Architects and developed by 400 Thatford Residence LLC, the development includes a shared laundry room, bike storage lockers, and air conditioning, according to the listing. Units have washers and dryers and energy efficient appliances. The listing says tenants have to pay for electricity, which covers the stove and heat, while hot water is included in the rent. Tenants are allowed one pet weighing up to 40 pounds with a $300 refundable deposit, the listing adds.

Renderings show the building with a grey facade and a beige section on the northern corner, where the three-story building steps up with a penthouse. Permits show the entire building will be residential.

Prior to the residential conversion, 400 Thatford most recently housed the Christian Fellowship Worship Center, which appears to have operated here for over 15 years until 2019 when it was sold to an LLC for $3.2 million. The building changed hands several times since. 400 Thatford Residence LLC most recently purchased it in January 2024 for $6 million. Developer Simon Kaufman signed on behalf of the LLC.

The building sits amongst a large and growing number of developments in the area that include affordable housing. Its neighbor is the recently-developed mixed-use residential and manufacturing development at 203 Newport Street, dubbed the Bridge Rockaway Apartments.

400 Thatford takes advantage of the rezoning done for neighboring 203 Newport Street, and because of that is required to include affordable units under the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. It is also expected to receive the 467M tax break, according to the listing.

The 400 Thatford Avenue Apartments lottery closes on April 10. To apply, visit the listing on New York City’s Housing Connect website.

Related Stories

• Affordable Housing Lottery With $617 Units Opens in Brownsville
• Brownsville Affordable Housing Lottery Launches With $711 One-Bedrooms
• East New York Affordable Housing Lottery Has Two-Bedrooms for $1,099

Email tips@brownstoner.com with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.